Germany: Introduction, Growing Environment, and Winemaking

Question 1

What percentage of German vineyards are planted to Riesling?

Answer 1

25%

Question 2

By 1980, what percentage of Germany’s exports was for Liebfraumilch?

Answer 2

60%

Germany became synonymous with inexpensive medium sweet wines produced from Muller Thurgau and Kerner

Question 3

By the 16th century, German wines were widely exported. What geographical features enabled this?

Answer 3

Vineyards were close to the Rhine River, enabling easy transportation

Question 4

Why did the German wine industry go into rapid decline in the early 16th century?

What happened to the location of the vineyards as a result of this?

Answer 4

Because of the 30 year war

Flatter valley plains were taken over for more lucrative grain production, pushing the vineyards onto the steeper slopes, a distinctive feature today

Question 5

In what year did Germany become a unified country?

Answer 5

1871

Question 6

Name two famous German wine institutes founded in the late 19th/ early 20th century that have played an important role in modernising the German wine industry.

Answer 6

Hochschule Geisenheim University

Julius Kühn-Institut in Pfalz

Question 7

What was Germany’s reputation for wine like in the late 19th / early 20th century?

Answer 7

They had a reputation for great quality

Top Rieslings commanded the same prices as classed Bordeaux

Question 8

What events in the late 19th / early 20th century caused German wine production to decline?

Answer 8

Phylloxera
Mildew
Two world wars

Question 9

What types of wines did Germany begin producing after the Second World War?

Answer 9

Inexpensive branded wines

Question 10

What is Flurbereinigung?

What were the effects of Flurbereinigung?

Answer 10

This was the consolidation of many small, fragmented vineyards and the building of access roads

This resulted in increased efficiency and reduced costs. Without Flurbereinigung, many vineyards would have become economically unviable

Question 11

At what latitude are most German wine producing regions found?

Answer 11

49 - 50 degrees north

Baden is an exception

Question 12

What is the average rainfall in Germany?

When does most rain tend to fall?

What effects can this rainfall have?

Answer 12

Annual rainfall is between 500-800mm

Most rain falls in summer

This can increase the risk of fungal disease, dilution, and in heavy storms, hail

Question 13

What expositions do the top German vineyard sites have?

Answer 13

Best vineyards are often on steep south-facing slopes to maximise sunlight exposure

Question 14

In Germany, winters are cold and spring frosts can be an issue. What factors help mitigate frost risks?

Answer 14

Planting on slopes

Planting close to rivers

Question 15

What type of weather would you expect in autumn in Germany?

How does this affect ripening?

Answer 15

Long and dry autumns

This allows for long ripening periods during which grapes can develop high levels of natural sugar required for Prädikatswein

Question 16

Whereabouts on the slopes would you expect German vineyards to be planted and why?

Answer 16

Vineyards are planted lower down the slopes, usually around 200m above sea level

Vineyards are at high latitude, so at higher altitudes it would be to cold to ripen grapes sufficiently

Question 17

What type of soils would you find in Ahr and Mosel?

How does this help ripening?

Answer 17

Dark coloured slate

Ahr and Mosel are two of the coldest German wine regions: dark slate retains heat during the day and radiates it back to the vine at night, helping ripening

Question 18

What might growers do to stop tackle erosion in the steep vineyards in Germany?

Answer 18

They have to winch soil and rocks back up the slopes, adding to cost

Question 19

What volume of German wine is produced annually on average?

Answer 19

9 million hl

Question 20

What is the average maximum yield for Deutscher Wein and Landwein?

What is the average maximum yield for Qualitatswein?

Answer 20

Deutscher Wein and Landwein: 150hl/ha

Qualitatswein: 105hl/ha

Question 21

Although German wine regions still experience vintage variation, what vineyard management techniques have reduced this in recent years?

What key natural factor has also reduced vintage variation?

Answer 21

Better clonal selction
Summer pruning
Green harvesting
Selective hand harvesting 
Good canopy management: maximise sun exposure and increase air flow

Climate change

Question 22

What is Pendelbogen?

Answer 22

Replacement cane pruning with the canes arched in the trellis

The arching of canes is thought to improve the flow of sap in the vine and increase the number of viable buds, increasing yields

Question 23

What percentage of German vineyards are farmed organically?

Why is organic viticulture particularly difficult in Germany?

Answer 23

9%

Disease pressure is high in Germany, meaning producers need to spray regularly

Question 24

What factors have enabled German growers to produce better red wines?

Answer 24

Increasing temperatures
Better clones
Better vineyard management
Better winemaking techniques

Question 25

Give the key characteristics of the Riesling vine

Answer 25

Late budding (avoids frost)
Late ripening
Thick wood (frost resistance)
Susceptible to botrytis
Retains high acidity even when fully ripe

Question 26

Why did German plantings of Riesling fall in the 1970s and 1980s?

Describe why plantings of Riesling have now recovered and are continuing to grow

Answer 26

In cold years Riesling can fail to ripen.
Producers turned to more reliable German crosses, as these could achieve the must weights required by law

Improved vineyard techniques, rising temperatures and an emphasis on quality have all meant that Riesling is back in favour

Question 27

Give the key characteristics of the Müller Thurgau vine

Answer 27

Crossing
Produced to ripen earlier than Riesling
High yielding
Plantings have more than halved

Question 28

Give a typical tasting note for a Müller Thurgau wine

Answer 28

Simple fruity and floral aromas
Medium acidity

Early drinking

Question 29

Give a typical tasting note for a Dornfelder wine

Answer 29

Deep colour
Sour cherry, blackberry, floral notes
High acidity
Sometimes with residual sugar

Examples made with lower yields can show more structure and complexity, fermented and/ or aged in oak

Question 30

Where would you expect to find the best examples of Silvaner wines?

Give a typical tasting note for a quality Silvaner wine from this region

Answer 30

Franken

Green and tropical fruit, earthy character
Medium to medium (+) acidity
Dry

Question 31

What types of wines are mostly produced from Silvaner?

How does it compare with Riesling in terms of acidity and aromatic complexity?

Answer 31

Mostly large amounts of inexpensive wine (exception is Franken)

It is less aromatically complex and has lower acidity than Riesling

Question 32

Where might you find high quality oaked examples of Chardonnay in Germany?

Answer 32

Pfalz

Kaiserstuhl in Baden

Question 33

What is the most planted black grape variety in Germany?

Explain how vineyard management is improving the quality of wines from this varietal

Answer 33

Spätburgunder

Better clones
Better canopy management
Selecting harvest dates to balance alcohol, acidity and ripeness of fruit and tannins

Question 34

What techniques in the winery might German producers use when making Spätburgunder wines

Answer 34

Some producers may use wholebunch fermentation, with stems adding tannins to the wines

Some may cold soak

In general producers are toning down the use of new oak and some are using larger oak vessels

Question 35

What type of soils is Grauburgunder suited to?

Answer 35

Heavy, clay soils

Question 36

Give a typical tasting note for a Grauburgunder wine

Answer 36

Dried and fresh stone and tropical fruit, honey
Medium acidity
Medium to full body, depending on sweetness

Question 37

Is enrichment practiced commonly in Germany? Why?

What is the maximum that wines can be enriched?

Answer 37

Enrichment is often practiced due to cool temperatures, although it is not permitted for Prädikatswein

Wines from Baden can be enriched to a maximum of 2%
All other regions are allowed to enrich up to 3%

Question 38

In what region might you expect producers to use 1000l Fuder?

Answer 38

Mosel

Question 39

A proportion of new oak might be used for ageing some wines in Germany. Which varietals are particularly suited to this?

Answer 39

Red varietals
Grauburgunder
Weissburgunder
Chardonnay

Question 40

In the 1960s and 70s, what was the main method used in Germany to sweeten wines?

Is this method commonly used today?

What other methods are used to obtain sweet wines?

Answer 40

Süssreserve (unfermented or partially fermented must) was added to dry wines

Süssreserve is still used in large commercial wineries

Quality minded producers will stop the fermentation to produce sweet wines (racking, filter, SO2 addition or chilling)
RGCM can only be added to Deutscher Wein

Question 41

Describe how inexpensive German red wines designed for early consumption may be handled in the winery

Answer 41

Thermovinification: quick extraction of flavour and colour
Wine can then be fermented off the skins for fruity reds with low tannin
Wines are not oak matured